Monday, May 2, 2016

Hi from Mom

Hi all, We sure are thankful that Henry and Jeni can be home for a few days and enjoy the family together. Sure is fun to see that cute picture of Henry and Oliver hugging each other. I am sure there were many hugs.

We had a good week. Kristin has prepared her resume and was offered a job and has accepted a new job. She will be doing residential appraisals but will still get her training in commercial appraising which she has been doing AND the company is paying for her training. She starts her new job May 11th! Jeremy has been working nights 4pm - 1am and so he applied for a new job at LDS hospital day shift and HE got that job. So finally they can be working the same shifts so they can see each other. Jeremy was going to start May 9th but they are short handed at the hospital he is now at that they asked him to stay another week. Congratulations.

Anna and Bryan are remodeling or finishing their basement and that is coming along really well. Taking down walls and adding dry wall and adding a bathroom and plumbing down stairs. This will give them area for a play space and food storage area.

Jessica and Marcus moved to a house not far from their apartment but with a back yard and more space. Jessica painted cupboards and walls and painted curtains before they moved in. She now has a room for her studio pictures also. And the kids have a good neighborhoods for biking and walking. They did live on a very steep hill, so nice bike ride down but hard coming back up.

Jake's hand is healing well after he tried to get his hand in and out of a blender. Jake fought the blender and the blender won! But just cuts not lost fingers.

We had great success today with one of our less actives. He came to church with us. Jake Miller is 38 and recovering addict and alcoholic so a hard life but he is making improvements. Really felt so proud of him even though he felt sick. We still call or contact him every day so see if he wants to go to the beach or out for a walk. But he is improving and wants to keep learning. He did call dad gnarly but now calls dad General.

We took advantage of our p day yesterday and did some exploring. We went to Ojai and is pronounced Oh hi. Then to another small town called Santa Paula. It was in a loop so had a good time seeing some of the cities that are in this area. There were lots of bikers and motorcycles on the road, out for a nice Saturday ride. There is a nice bike/jogging trail from Ojai to Ventura about 30 miles. It goes right down to the ocean. That would be a good ride to go on one day. Oh funny thing.. They have the city signs here that say the population and also the elevation. I get a kick of the signs when they say elevation 200 feet or 68 feet! We were way up in the mountains when we were at the 200 feet. Smile it was a beautiful day.

Next week we are planning to go up north to San Luis Obispo . And Solvang. They said it is a Scandinavian community up there so will be interesting to see what it is like. But want to see some of the towns around here and know where they are.

The lemon trees here in the nurseries had some bugs infested so they were sent back to some farm so still no lemon tree, but I got some spinach and grape tomato plants for the patio. The mission president has avocado trees so get some fresh avocados from them. And some friend at church brought us some lemons. Mm mm good.

We have a small air conditioner in our bedroom window but took that out so I could have the window open. I love the fresh air and if it gets hot we can put the AC unit back in the window. But so far really nice out with a breeze.

One of our friends has a birthday tomorrow and so we are going to their home for dinner Monday night. They want me to bring banana pudding and jello. They wanted any jello but told them I would have orange jello with mandarin oranges and he was happy about that. They think jello is a utah Mormon thing. And of course being from Utah I know how to make jello!,, smile! But that's what he wanted.

Not this week but next week we have new arrivals and transfers and departing missionaries, so that week we are busy in the office. Orientation for the newbies, with papers and packets to give them. Then new lists and rosters and phone lists after the transfers! That is a big job for me. Hopefully not as many transfers as last time. But whatever I make the changes when they are made. Then we had new wards and a stake reorganized so now I have to find out new bishop names and meeting times and make a list of those for the mission president and office staff. So always new stuff to do, but that always makes it an interesting job.

Dad just now took a call from 2 elders where someone ran into them. He walked them through how to fill out the accident papers. No injuries just dented cars. This morning before church he had a phone call from 2 elders who could not get their car into park. Dad has to have his phone on him all the time. And you know that is a change for dad! But he is organized and has things under control just having a hard time with phones at times. But doing great.

Jon and Summer and Josie and Wyatt are coming out to California to visit her parents and then coming up a day to see us. We are excited to see them.

Love you all and you can email or write me and let me know how you are all doing. Anything new in your lives?